Taking the TrainMatt Seinberg

For most
of us, the "Train" is a mode of transportation to and from work,
taking a vacation across the country or having an electric model set
up in our basements.

I've
taken the Long Island Rail Road into New York City many times for
job interviews, Broadway shows and meeting friends to have some fun.
I had an electric "Train" set when I was a kid. I never took the
"Train" across the country though.

There is
another kind of "Train"," a musical group based in San Francisco.
Formed in 1994, "Train" released five albums. Its members are lead
singer Pat Monahan, guitarist Jimmy Stafford and drummer Scott
Underwood.

I first
became aware of them on 16 December 2009 when lead singer Pat
Monahan appeared on an episode of "CSI: NY," one of my favourite
shows. It was only at the end when I saw Pat singing did I connect
him, the music and his group into one big piece.

I
immediately went to their website and listened to some of their
music. I was impressed. I could actually understand the words and,
most important, get what they were singing about. Then I find out
that my daughter, Michelle, also likes to listen to "Train." Talk
about making the generation gap smaller.

When I
first heard, "Hey Soul Sister," I overwhelmed by everything about
the song. The lyrics, ukulele, vocals and harmonies were amazing.
Then I listened to "Drops of Jupiter," "Calling All Angels," and
"Meet Virginia." The band hooked me.

A group
knows it has made the big time when a large company uses one of its
songs in a national campaign. This is what has happened with
"Train." Samsung now uses "Hey Soul Sister" as the inspirational
music in all their commercials. Pretty cool or at least I think so.

Records
by "Train" air on many different radio station formats, including
Adult Contemporary, Hot AC, CHR and Rock. There are few groups or
artists, today, that can pull that off and not alienate their fans.

I'm not
going to analyze the lyrics, or get into biographies of the group
members. That's the purpose of their website. To me, music touches
all of us in different ways and certain songs can elicit feelings
that nothing else can.

One song
that always makes me feel better when I'm a little down is "Castle
Of Dreams," by David Koz. I find it very uplifting and I feel like
I'm soaring along the wind when it plays, no matter where I am.

"Hey Soul
Sister" for some reason makes me feel good as well. We each can
interpret a song in different ways. To me, it's a funny love story
about two people wanting to get together. The music video takes
place on a street corner in front of a corner restaurant where the
man and woman finally meet up.

For music
fans, there are two other themes, mentioned in the lyrics, which
deserve noting. The chorus mentions the 1980s group, "Mr. Mister,"
as being on the radio. "Mr. Mister" had a few hits in "Kyrie" and
"Broken Wings." Madonna appears in the same sentence as a virgin.
That's an oxymoron if I ever heard one.

There are
songs we hear, mostly on the radio that we will either crank up
because we really like them, or turn off because we are tired of
them. Other songs we just tolerate simply because they are just in
the background. It's only when they become intrusive that we change
the station, put on a CD or turn on our music player.

Then
there are the songs that remind us of things that happened to us in
different stages of our lives, be it school, an old girlfriend or
boyfriend, or a significant event. They can sometimes stop us dead
in our tracks no matter what we are doing and make us think back to
that event, be it good or bad, sad or happy, or life and death.

For me,
such songs include James Taylor "Fire and Rain"; "Magnet and Steel,"
by Walter Eagan; "Tell Me," by "Boston"; "Melissa," by "The Allman
Brothers Band and "Michelle," by "the Beatles." Each, of these
songs, is from a different stage of my life that can take my mind
back to somewhere else. This happens to all of us and, I hope,
reminds us of some good times.

Right
now, I like to listen to "Hey Soul Sister." I have it loaded on the
memory card in my phone so I can listen to it anywhere and anytime.
It makes me feel better and puts a smile on my face.

So, get
with "Train" today and take a ride. Have a nice trip. No matter how
near or far you go, you won't regret it. So have fun.

Matt Seinberg lives on Long Island, a few minutes east of New York City. He looks at everything around him and notices much. Somewhat less cynical than dyed in the wool New Yorkers, Seinberg believes those who don't see what he does
like reading about what he sees and what it means to him. Seinberg columns revel in the silly little things of life and laughter as well as much well-directed anger at inept, foolish public officials. Mostly, Seinberg writes for those who laugh easily at their own foibles as well as those of others.